Post by ajk on Mar 2, 2013 0:14:02 GMT -5
Bang! You asked for it, Deokman...the arrow flies straight and true, right into Deokman's chest. Deokman falls back and slumps in her chair. Mouths agape all around, even among Mishil's allies...and now a long, stunned silence...one of those horrified, seemingly unending silences that seems to actually ring in the air. But wait a minute--now the arrow falls down in front of Deokman, and there doesn't seem to be any blood on it. Deokman gasps, staggers to her feet...and from beneath her shirt she pulls out Jinheung's dagger! This tiny, CONVEX object that apparently absorbed and deflected the blow with micro-precision good fortune. Hmmm.
And now suddenly we're in front of the king's palace, and the Hwarang--including all of those neutral elites who apparently have come around to Deokman's side, or at least want to rescue the king--are fighting a large number of soldiers. And making short work of them.
Inside, the king is told by his lead attendant (still no name for this guy) that he'd best go into hiding, if only as a precaution; the attendant saw what's going on out there but isn't sure what it means. Then Yushin runs in and assures the king that the palace is under control and he's safe. Jinpyeong immediately asks about his daughter...
...who's still standing there, holding that dagger up while Mishil and everybody else is just standing there looking at it. (Uh, Mishil? There isn't a one-arrow limit; you can take another shot.) Finally Seolwon advises her that she'd better get out of there and go hide somewhere--good advice, since she's now facing an attempted-murder rap on top of everything else. Seolwon and Chilsuk and Seokpum and Misaeng and Sejong, they're all ready to hustle Mishil away to safety. And as the six of them scurry for the door, Seolwon nods to a sergeant and suddenly all of the soldiers present in the Hwarang ground run forward and surround all of the prisoners--Deokman, Seohyeon, Yongchun, and all of the DFers and Rising Phoenix. "Slay them!" One soldier steps forward to take the lead, and with one swing a DFer falls dead. And now the rest advance...but suddenly two arrows come flying in from who-knows-where and two soldiers fall dead. Then two more arrows, and two more kills. It's two of Yeom Jong's men! They're up on top of the main entrance. They manage to jump down, fight off the guards and get the door open...and look who's waiting out there: Bidam and what must be several dozen more of Yeom Jong's men--with arrows loaded and ready to fire. They pour into the ground and as the civilians dive for cover, fire away and slaughter dozens of the soldiers before they can even organize themselves. Hey, Jukbang is in there as well...There are a lot more soldiers and those guys manage to run forward before more arrows can fly, and now it's a wild, all-out battle. But it's over quickly (Those soldiers are really, really bad at their jobs, it's long obvious) and the soldiers who haven't been killed or injured or just knocked silly all run away as order is restored. Deokman properly expresses her thanks to Bidam, but he's in no mood to hear it. "If you try to do this by yourself again, next time I won't not come to your rescue." Got that? You smug little...Deokman reaches over and hugs her mother, and Manmyeong is finally reunited with her husband. Deokman is offered a safe escort to see her father, but she's more concerned about not letting Mishil escape the palace. Asks Bidam to see to that.
"Prepare my carriage." Mishil and the cabal, along with a surprising number of soldiers, have managed to get clear of the Hwarang ground. Everyone is remarkably calm, but clearly Mishil knows the jig is up. Question is, does she have an exit strategy?
Now we see her go inside--into her secret quarters, attached to the shrine. She heads straight for the box with the red envelope. The envelope Sohwa found and took. Uh-oh, it isn't there and now Mishil looks worried. Like, yikes-worried. Chilsuk runs in and urges her to hurry, but she can barely hear him, she's so rattled by the envelope's disappearance. Now Chilsuk realizes what must have happened. "The secret entrance might have been discovered," he says. She glares at him angrily.
Now Mishil is safely in her gama, which has been put onto a horsecart. (Is that like a hybrid?) What look to be maybe 50 soldiers and an equal number of Hwarang still loyal to her are ready to lead her away. There must be more that we can't see; we can only see maybe 100. But now Seokpum runs in with news that troops loyal to Seohyeon are on their way. Can't help that, Seolwon says; "All paths will be blocked anyhow. We must penetrate through them." But then from off to the side: "There is no need for that." It's Mishil--oh, so she's not in the gama yet. No need for what? (Maybe a translation issue here...) Mishil orders their entire force to leave through the main gate. Seolwon tells them all that there will be 10,000 troops outside the gate waiting for them. "You must therefore stake your lives to protect her." Your sacrifices will always be remembered; "sacrifice your lives for Her Highness's sake!" Then Bojong shrewdly adds that everyone present owes their careers to Mishil. "Yes! We shall perish for Her Highness!" That wasn't Bojong, it was Santak the Annoying Hwarang. You go first out the gate, dude. Now they're all excited and revved up and cheering...but they're outnumbered to the point of suicide.
Daepoong brings Deokman the news about where Mishil is headed. At first Deokman doubts it: "It will not be the real Mishil." Just too tough a route, Deokman thinks, so Mishil must be using a decoy. No, Daepoong assures her; it's Mishil. But wait just a minute--those 10,000 troops outside there? Maybe not. Half of them are Jujin's and it turns out they haven't arrived yet. And the rest, they're dispersed all around the other gates. Deokman orders everyone to the main gate.
So now we see Mishil's troops; they've come up against Seohyeon's troops, or maybe 100 of them anyway. Facing off right there against each other in a big courtyard. Seolwon orders the opposing lines penetrated, and the battle begins. Seolwon's troops seem to have longer spears (?!) and are getting their point across (ha ha)...and slowly Mishil's gama (now off the horse-cart--so much for modern technology) is brought forward through the yard as the chaos ensues around it. Seokpum and Chilsuk are right next to the gama and fending off any attackers.
Finally, Chunchu has shown up outside the city walls, with Jujin and the nobles and all of those troops. Godo and Daepoong and two other DFers run out to receive them in Deokman's name and tell them what's happened, and urge them to head to the main gate.
Yushin and Alcheon bring Deokman bad news: Mishil's gama got through the lines. Seohyeon is trailing them, but they're through. And apparently they'll be joined soon by private troops of Sejong's, which will add to their numbers. Deokman tells Jujin to join Seohyeon's troops and follow Mishil; she fears that an all-out civil war could break out if Mishil escapes and establishes herself somewhere else. Need to finish her now.
"It is now a civil war." That's what Seolwon tells Sejong and Misaeng. They're all outside in the woods somewhere now, all in military dress; the troops are regrouping and resting. Seolwon wants to get to Daeya Fortress; Mishil had sent word ahead to Lord Uchan, who runs the place and who apparently is an ally. The fortress is nearly impregnable, so if they can just get there without being intercepted, they'll be in good shape. Those private troops of Sejong's, well, they're not here at the moment but Hajong is leading them this way. Mishil, she's looking a little downcast at the moment, but Seolwon perks her up and her resolve comes back. Mostly.
"Mishil has controlled the palace for over four decades. It will be hard to convince all the men she personally handpicked." But Deokman tells Yushin it's imperative that they get control of the palace back for the royal house. Now Seohyeon comes in, with more bad news: Mishil made it to Daeya Fortress. Says he almost had her, but Uchan sent his troops out of the fortress and helped get her there safely. Deokman looks intensely troubled. Why? They're trapped! Just besiege the place and wait them out, right?...
...Well, maybe not so easy. Now we're at Daeya Fortress. Mishil and the cabal are all there, meeting just like old times, and they're excited about getting a fresh start. And it turns out that "many other lords have pledged their support," as Hajong says excitedly. General Mageoji of Chiljung Fortress is the one name specifically mentioned, but apparently there are others. "Yes," Mishil says; "we shall be victorious." And then adds, "Unless I give up first, victory shall be ours." Hmmm...what? Nobody else bats an eye, but what an odd little extra thing to say.
Evening: Chilsuk and Seokpum are addressing the troops who helped get them here. Be vigilant; watch out for spies in the fortress. Dismissed. Now Chilsuk and Seokpum are alone together, and Seokpum wonders about this possible civil war. And how about this--believe it or not he doesn't seem too happy about it. Mishil, he says, "always stressed our country's principles first and foremost." Chilsuk anticipates his next thought: "Does it seem otherwise now?" Not my concern, Seokpum answers, but clearly it's on his mind. He talks emotionally about his lowly upbringing and the opportunities that Mishil has given him, and the wealth that has flowed to his family as a result. "Her Highness did all that." Clearly he's trying to talk himself past some troubled feelings he's having...which is very strange, considering he's always stuck up for Mishil's side of every issue or situation. He apologizes to Chilsuk for even mentioning any of it...and then even more strangely, Chilsuk fesses up: "I feel the same." And walks away. Wow! They're both acting so morose and burdened, obviously this is not a turn they wanted to see taken. And they're harboring doubts about their unquestioning devotion to Mishil's cause.
Deokman's preparing for the worst. If there's a civil war, the most important thing is to purge the Department of Military Affairs of anyone who might make trouble. She give her people various assignments, and orders Jujin's troops to take over the area around Daeya Fortress. "Unless we do this quickly and effectively," she says, "immense disorder and degradation will befall our country."
Weird--Bidam wasn't at that meeting. Wonder why not...and here's Yeom Jong asking him the same thing. Bidam says he doesn't have any official standing to warrant being there. And he doesn't seem to mind that at all. Yeom Jong wonders why Bidam isn't more forceful in asking for more authority for himself. But now Deokman walks in and asks Bidam to lead some of his men to Daeya Fortress. Infiltrate the place and see what's going on. She trusts only him to lead the mission. So that maybe answers Yeom Jong's questions a little.
"See? I told you. She only entrusts me with important tasks." Bidam and Yeom Jong are outside and Bidam is beaming about the assignment. But Yeom Jong complains that it's actually small potatoes, and basically accuses Bidam of being too much of a bumpkin--too much time with Munno apart from organized society to know what he's missing out on. Bidam brushes him off--but as he leaves, he looks angry.
"We are innocent!" "It was ordered by the Commissioner!" Some of the soldiers who aided Mishil in the wild events from before are now prisoners themselves, and begging before Seohyeon for mercy. Maybe twenty or so, including the sergeant from inside the yard. Yushin is watching this too. Tough call, what to do with these guys.
Wolya, Seolji and Jukbang are going over military personnel records to identify the leaders who are most likely to remain loyal to Seolwon. As Jukbang explains to Seohyeon and Yushin when they come in, it looks like an impossible task. After all, Seolwon was Minister of Military for fifteen years; his influence is deep into every part of the military. But Seohyeon tells them it has to be done in order to contend with Mishil, so do your best.
Now an irritated Deokman is going over some financial records and getting bad news from one of the financial officials. Construction records for government buildings, not well kept, and finances managed in secrecy, partly by Hajong. Not good. She dismisses the man, and then Alcheon enters with similar news about military spending. Lots of crossbows that were ordered from Japan, they never arrived. A transaction that Seolwon supervised personally. You can guess where those crossbows are now.
"The crossbows arrived?" Mishil gets the good news from Misaeng. Yes, he's managed to commandeer them, and they're the newest and most accurate available. And then Hajong reports that they have nearly a year's worth of supplies stored up. So obviously a siege would be difficult, and it's looking like they're in good standing to ride this out long-term. And on top of that, all of the provincial reports to the king from Gangju and Geumgwan Provinces are being sent to them instead of the king. Which gives them a big informational advantage (if they can maintain it; seems like a difficult thing to keep going). But now, oh no, Santak the Annoying Hwarang enters with news from Gwangmun Prefecture; report of a "huge fire" during construction of a rampart structure. This immediately worries Mishil. Why?
Here's why. Deokman, meeting with some ministers, is told about the fire and wonders why no official dispatch was received from the area. So now she knows, already, that the information flow has been altered. THAT didn't last long.
More tough news for Deokman: now Chunchu and Yushin are complaining that so many people come and go in and out of the palace, it's just not possible to figure out who may be up to no good. They're trying, but it's just too difficult. And now Alcheon enters with the bad news about the crossbows. "If this keeps up," Yushin realizes, "Mishil will create a new capital."
Hey, look who Bidam caught--the official messenger from Gwangmun Prefecture. Was passing through Daeya Fortress so Bidam bagged him. Deokman demands to know why he didn't report to the capital, and the terrified messenger tells her that "Mishil was supervising the ramparts' construction" so the local governor ordered that she receive the report. And according to the message, the fire consumed all of the timber needed for the construction, so they were asking Mishil for more funds to replace it. Wow, Mishil has her hands in everything, doesn't she...A concerned Deokman orders the royal court convened immediately.
"I shall ignore any previous issue we faced," Deokman tells the court. But from now on, any official report on any matter large or small goes straight to me, under penalty of death. And instruct all of the provinces about that. Got it? Yes, they got it. And she orders the military to take command of the areas near Daeya Fortress, so that the area is totally cut off.
Later, Deokman is alone, thinking...Flashback to a scene we didn't see: Sohwa giving her the red envelope!! So she's had it all this time. Deokman immediately opens it and reads the paper inside. The first two words couldn't be more jarring: "Slay Mishil." She reads further, silently, but speaks the final words: "...and regain the mandate of heaven." And the paper has a royal seal on it. Jinheung's seal! Incredibly, this is the order that Jinheung gave to Seolwon all the way back in Episode 1. It's survived all this time. (Why didn't Seolwon or Mishil ever destroy it? Have to wonder what the untold story is.) Deokman wonders to herself, "Should I use that?" As in, to her advantage somehow. But now Bidam arrives and interrupts her train of thought. Awkwardly, he sort of says he wants to do more to help her. Obviously Yeom Jong's words got to him. She tells him that as soon as things calm down, she plans to give him an important position. She has an intelligence agency of sorts in mind, which she realizes can be immensely useful from seeing the work that he and Yeom Jong have carried out. And she'll want him to head it. "There is no better candidate than you," she says, and I trust you completely with the most sensitive tasks. Bidam smiles so widely that Deokman laughs at his childlike enthusiasm--but the main thing is, it's obviously very gratifying to Bidam and satisfies him completely. For now, though, here's some smaller thing she needs him to do: "On my way here, I hid a small box under a large tree." Near the Bokya camp. Go and get it. Discreetly.
Now we see him running gleefully to the location, absolutely tickled pink at Deokman's expression of faith in him.
Now Yushin and Alcheon show up, expressing some disappointment at all of the difficulties that seem to be popping up. "We have no experience running a country," Deokman replies, understanding that right now what they need is lots of trustworthy people working to support them. "That is the reason why Mishil was so obsessed with gaining people's hearts," she says. I need to do that now, too. "And will have to steal precious personnel from her." Meaning what? She doesn't answer directly, instead referring to the thing that Bidam is bringing.
How does Bidam possibly know which tree to go to? We didn't see him get any specific instructions. Oh wait, could it possibly be the tree out there by itself in a clearing, with big bright streamers draped all over it? Gee, ya think? (Ugh.) Yeah, Bidam is there digging, and finds a box. That's it. Mission accomplished. But now his curiosity gets the best of him. He opens the box and finds the red envelope...and remembers seeing Sohwa clutching it tightly to her chest after she was rescued two episodes earlier...so of course he can't help but open it and read the paper. The message so overwhelms him, he literally falls to his knees. Wow, is he ever rattled. And for the longest time, he just sits there, dazed...
...while Deokman waits impatiently for his return.
Inside Daeya Fortress: It's Jukbang, Godo, Daepoong and Geoksaheun, in civilian clothes, as part of the intelligence-gathering mission. Walking around the main market area. You'd have to wonder about one or two of those choices for intelligence gathering, but there they are.
"King Jinheung wanted Mishil dead? Then why is this still intact?" Bidam can't figure out why Mishil didn't destroy the order. THANK you; great question.
Now it's nighttime at Daeya Fortress. As the four DFers watch from near the main gate, observing who comes and goes, who should they see get in line but Bidam. Tells the guard he's there for "trading purposes," as are most of the people in line, and is cleared to enter. But what's he doing here? Jukbang says he knows he's on a mission for Deokman (Oops--no way he could have known that; continuity error, and a bad one)...and now a flashback to a conversation Jukbang had with Sohwa, that we didn't see, about that envelope. She's still clutching it; Jukbang suggests that she entrust it to Bidam--"Nobody is ever going to steal that from him"--but Sohwa refuses. Jukbang presses: "Wasn't this supposed to be what could make Mishil crumble?" Not sure how he knows this, but whatever, she won't give it to Bidam because, she says, it concerns him as well...Jukbang figures this all has to be tied in together somehow.
Bidam is sneaking around in the darkness now, avoiding soldiers...now he ambushes and kills two of them, and in the next moment he's gone into a building and is standing with a sword to Mishil's throat! Wow, he sure found her quickly enough. Mishil, of course, doesn't flinch or bat an eye. "Did Deokman send you to kill me?", she asks in a quiet voice. Or are you trying to score points for yourself by doing it on your own? Neither. "There is something I'm curious about." What? "That day...Why did you tell Yeom Jong to take me on a trip?" He means, as opposed to killing him. Not sure why he should care about it--it got him away with his life, didn't it? Mishil doesn't answer right away, so he screams at her (way to stay secret) "Because you'd interfere." "I always seem to become a nuisance, when it comes to fulfilling that dream of yours. Shouldn't you have abandoned me a second time? Should you have not... slain me?" Yeah, logically she should have, and she agrees. "A mistake on my part," she says with a smile. And because of that mistake, "I've come to this point." All he can hear is the word "mistake," though...And he's just about to pull out the red envelope from inside his shirt when Misaeng and Bojong come walking in, still in their military gear, and in the next moment their swords are both pointing at Bidam. But she calls them off. "It's only a guest of mine," she says to them, "who came out of curiosity." The pair are incredulous as she tells Bidam, "You may leave." His sword, of course, is still at her throat, so they really can't argue with him all that much.
Sejong, Seolwon and Hajong are told by Misaeng and Bojong what just happened. Seolwon doesn't seem to be very surprised about it--which makes Misaeng suspect Seolwon knows something. They demand to know what he knows; after all, her not having Bidam killed is part of what caused their plan to fail. Even Bojong tells his father to come clean....
Seolwon goes to Mishil and asks why Bidam was here. He wanted to know the same thing everybody else is asking; why she didn't have Bidam killed when she should have.
Jukbang and Godo are back in the palace; they tell Yushin and Alcheon about Bidam's unexpected side trip.
Deokman is still waiting, increasingly anxiously.
Well, Bidam got out of the fortress safely, and is out in the countryside. Alone in the darkness, he takes the red envelope out of his pocket and looks at it, terribly burdened.
Yushin tells Deokman about Bidam's side trip, and asks him what he was bringing for her. He has a right to ask, certainly, just out of concern for the possibility that he might not be totally anti-Mishil. But says he won't jump to any conclusions. The two go outside, and find Jukbang waiting for Deokman. Oddly, Jukbang asks for a few words in private with the princess. So Yushin leaves. Gingerly, he recalls Sohwa telling him about that envelope being relevant to Bidam and so she wouldn't entrust it to Bidam to protect. "It seemed like she was trying to hide something," he continues; "I was just wondering why..." And to our surprise, despite knowing what the paper is and having read it, Deokman isn't sure herself. "Why would an edict from King Jinheung clamoring for Mishil's death..." she wonders to herself....
...and later, back inside and alone, is still pondering...when guess who should finally walk in. An awkward silence between them. He sits down. Did he bring the envelope? "Nothing was there," he tells her blankly. I found the box, but it was empty. Deokman stares at him, and then gives him another chance. Whatever you tell me, she says, I'll believe you; "And this will also shape our relationship in the future. Was there really nothing inside?" Still want that plum intelligence job that made you so giddy? "Nothing. It wasn't there." I guess he doesn't. So she tells him she knows about his going to Daeya Fortress. "Did you meet with Mishil?" He fesses up; says he didn't want to come back with nothing, so he went there to kill her. "Wouldn't her death have ended all this? But... I failed." Sitting there like a surly, petulant little kid, Deokman knows he's withholding something. "I will ask for the last time. You and Mishil--what is your relationship?"
Sejong, Hajong and Misaeng are all pressing Mishil for the truth about Bidam. Same question: "What is your relationship?"
Bidam looks at Deokman: "Mishil and I...."
Mishil spills it: "He is my son."
And now suddenly we're in front of the king's palace, and the Hwarang--including all of those neutral elites who apparently have come around to Deokman's side, or at least want to rescue the king--are fighting a large number of soldiers. And making short work of them.
Inside, the king is told by his lead attendant (still no name for this guy) that he'd best go into hiding, if only as a precaution; the attendant saw what's going on out there but isn't sure what it means. Then Yushin runs in and assures the king that the palace is under control and he's safe. Jinpyeong immediately asks about his daughter...
...who's still standing there, holding that dagger up while Mishil and everybody else is just standing there looking at it. (Uh, Mishil? There isn't a one-arrow limit; you can take another shot.) Finally Seolwon advises her that she'd better get out of there and go hide somewhere--good advice, since she's now facing an attempted-murder rap on top of everything else. Seolwon and Chilsuk and Seokpum and Misaeng and Sejong, they're all ready to hustle Mishil away to safety. And as the six of them scurry for the door, Seolwon nods to a sergeant and suddenly all of the soldiers present in the Hwarang ground run forward and surround all of the prisoners--Deokman, Seohyeon, Yongchun, and all of the DFers and Rising Phoenix. "Slay them!" One soldier steps forward to take the lead, and with one swing a DFer falls dead. And now the rest advance...but suddenly two arrows come flying in from who-knows-where and two soldiers fall dead. Then two more arrows, and two more kills. It's two of Yeom Jong's men! They're up on top of the main entrance. They manage to jump down, fight off the guards and get the door open...and look who's waiting out there: Bidam and what must be several dozen more of Yeom Jong's men--with arrows loaded and ready to fire. They pour into the ground and as the civilians dive for cover, fire away and slaughter dozens of the soldiers before they can even organize themselves. Hey, Jukbang is in there as well...There are a lot more soldiers and those guys manage to run forward before more arrows can fly, and now it's a wild, all-out battle. But it's over quickly (Those soldiers are really, really bad at their jobs, it's long obvious) and the soldiers who haven't been killed or injured or just knocked silly all run away as order is restored. Deokman properly expresses her thanks to Bidam, but he's in no mood to hear it. "If you try to do this by yourself again, next time I won't not come to your rescue." Got that? You smug little...Deokman reaches over and hugs her mother, and Manmyeong is finally reunited with her husband. Deokman is offered a safe escort to see her father, but she's more concerned about not letting Mishil escape the palace. Asks Bidam to see to that.
"Prepare my carriage." Mishil and the cabal, along with a surprising number of soldiers, have managed to get clear of the Hwarang ground. Everyone is remarkably calm, but clearly Mishil knows the jig is up. Question is, does she have an exit strategy?
Now we see her go inside--into her secret quarters, attached to the shrine. She heads straight for the box with the red envelope. The envelope Sohwa found and took. Uh-oh, it isn't there and now Mishil looks worried. Like, yikes-worried. Chilsuk runs in and urges her to hurry, but she can barely hear him, she's so rattled by the envelope's disappearance. Now Chilsuk realizes what must have happened. "The secret entrance might have been discovered," he says. She glares at him angrily.
Now Mishil is safely in her gama, which has been put onto a horsecart. (Is that like a hybrid?) What look to be maybe 50 soldiers and an equal number of Hwarang still loyal to her are ready to lead her away. There must be more that we can't see; we can only see maybe 100. But now Seokpum runs in with news that troops loyal to Seohyeon are on their way. Can't help that, Seolwon says; "All paths will be blocked anyhow. We must penetrate through them." But then from off to the side: "There is no need for that." It's Mishil--oh, so she's not in the gama yet. No need for what? (Maybe a translation issue here...) Mishil orders their entire force to leave through the main gate. Seolwon tells them all that there will be 10,000 troops outside the gate waiting for them. "You must therefore stake your lives to protect her." Your sacrifices will always be remembered; "sacrifice your lives for Her Highness's sake!" Then Bojong shrewdly adds that everyone present owes their careers to Mishil. "Yes! We shall perish for Her Highness!" That wasn't Bojong, it was Santak the Annoying Hwarang. You go first out the gate, dude. Now they're all excited and revved up and cheering...but they're outnumbered to the point of suicide.
Daepoong brings Deokman the news about where Mishil is headed. At first Deokman doubts it: "It will not be the real Mishil." Just too tough a route, Deokman thinks, so Mishil must be using a decoy. No, Daepoong assures her; it's Mishil. But wait just a minute--those 10,000 troops outside there? Maybe not. Half of them are Jujin's and it turns out they haven't arrived yet. And the rest, they're dispersed all around the other gates. Deokman orders everyone to the main gate.
So now we see Mishil's troops; they've come up against Seohyeon's troops, or maybe 100 of them anyway. Facing off right there against each other in a big courtyard. Seolwon orders the opposing lines penetrated, and the battle begins. Seolwon's troops seem to have longer spears (?!) and are getting their point across (ha ha)...and slowly Mishil's gama (now off the horse-cart--so much for modern technology) is brought forward through the yard as the chaos ensues around it. Seokpum and Chilsuk are right next to the gama and fending off any attackers.
Finally, Chunchu has shown up outside the city walls, with Jujin and the nobles and all of those troops. Godo and Daepoong and two other DFers run out to receive them in Deokman's name and tell them what's happened, and urge them to head to the main gate.
Yushin and Alcheon bring Deokman bad news: Mishil's gama got through the lines. Seohyeon is trailing them, but they're through. And apparently they'll be joined soon by private troops of Sejong's, which will add to their numbers. Deokman tells Jujin to join Seohyeon's troops and follow Mishil; she fears that an all-out civil war could break out if Mishil escapes and establishes herself somewhere else. Need to finish her now.
"It is now a civil war." That's what Seolwon tells Sejong and Misaeng. They're all outside in the woods somewhere now, all in military dress; the troops are regrouping and resting. Seolwon wants to get to Daeya Fortress; Mishil had sent word ahead to Lord Uchan, who runs the place and who apparently is an ally. The fortress is nearly impregnable, so if they can just get there without being intercepted, they'll be in good shape. Those private troops of Sejong's, well, they're not here at the moment but Hajong is leading them this way. Mishil, she's looking a little downcast at the moment, but Seolwon perks her up and her resolve comes back. Mostly.
"Mishil has controlled the palace for over four decades. It will be hard to convince all the men she personally handpicked." But Deokman tells Yushin it's imperative that they get control of the palace back for the royal house. Now Seohyeon comes in, with more bad news: Mishil made it to Daeya Fortress. Says he almost had her, but Uchan sent his troops out of the fortress and helped get her there safely. Deokman looks intensely troubled. Why? They're trapped! Just besiege the place and wait them out, right?...
...Well, maybe not so easy. Now we're at Daeya Fortress. Mishil and the cabal are all there, meeting just like old times, and they're excited about getting a fresh start. And it turns out that "many other lords have pledged their support," as Hajong says excitedly. General Mageoji of Chiljung Fortress is the one name specifically mentioned, but apparently there are others. "Yes," Mishil says; "we shall be victorious." And then adds, "Unless I give up first, victory shall be ours." Hmmm...what? Nobody else bats an eye, but what an odd little extra thing to say.
Evening: Chilsuk and Seokpum are addressing the troops who helped get them here. Be vigilant; watch out for spies in the fortress. Dismissed. Now Chilsuk and Seokpum are alone together, and Seokpum wonders about this possible civil war. And how about this--believe it or not he doesn't seem too happy about it. Mishil, he says, "always stressed our country's principles first and foremost." Chilsuk anticipates his next thought: "Does it seem otherwise now?" Not my concern, Seokpum answers, but clearly it's on his mind. He talks emotionally about his lowly upbringing and the opportunities that Mishil has given him, and the wealth that has flowed to his family as a result. "Her Highness did all that." Clearly he's trying to talk himself past some troubled feelings he's having...which is very strange, considering he's always stuck up for Mishil's side of every issue or situation. He apologizes to Chilsuk for even mentioning any of it...and then even more strangely, Chilsuk fesses up: "I feel the same." And walks away. Wow! They're both acting so morose and burdened, obviously this is not a turn they wanted to see taken. And they're harboring doubts about their unquestioning devotion to Mishil's cause.
Deokman's preparing for the worst. If there's a civil war, the most important thing is to purge the Department of Military Affairs of anyone who might make trouble. She give her people various assignments, and orders Jujin's troops to take over the area around Daeya Fortress. "Unless we do this quickly and effectively," she says, "immense disorder and degradation will befall our country."
Weird--Bidam wasn't at that meeting. Wonder why not...and here's Yeom Jong asking him the same thing. Bidam says he doesn't have any official standing to warrant being there. And he doesn't seem to mind that at all. Yeom Jong wonders why Bidam isn't more forceful in asking for more authority for himself. But now Deokman walks in and asks Bidam to lead some of his men to Daeya Fortress. Infiltrate the place and see what's going on. She trusts only him to lead the mission. So that maybe answers Yeom Jong's questions a little.
"See? I told you. She only entrusts me with important tasks." Bidam and Yeom Jong are outside and Bidam is beaming about the assignment. But Yeom Jong complains that it's actually small potatoes, and basically accuses Bidam of being too much of a bumpkin--too much time with Munno apart from organized society to know what he's missing out on. Bidam brushes him off--but as he leaves, he looks angry.
"We are innocent!" "It was ordered by the Commissioner!" Some of the soldiers who aided Mishil in the wild events from before are now prisoners themselves, and begging before Seohyeon for mercy. Maybe twenty or so, including the sergeant from inside the yard. Yushin is watching this too. Tough call, what to do with these guys.
Wolya, Seolji and Jukbang are going over military personnel records to identify the leaders who are most likely to remain loyal to Seolwon. As Jukbang explains to Seohyeon and Yushin when they come in, it looks like an impossible task. After all, Seolwon was Minister of Military for fifteen years; his influence is deep into every part of the military. But Seohyeon tells them it has to be done in order to contend with Mishil, so do your best.
Now an irritated Deokman is going over some financial records and getting bad news from one of the financial officials. Construction records for government buildings, not well kept, and finances managed in secrecy, partly by Hajong. Not good. She dismisses the man, and then Alcheon enters with similar news about military spending. Lots of crossbows that were ordered from Japan, they never arrived. A transaction that Seolwon supervised personally. You can guess where those crossbows are now.
"The crossbows arrived?" Mishil gets the good news from Misaeng. Yes, he's managed to commandeer them, and they're the newest and most accurate available. And then Hajong reports that they have nearly a year's worth of supplies stored up. So obviously a siege would be difficult, and it's looking like they're in good standing to ride this out long-term. And on top of that, all of the provincial reports to the king from Gangju and Geumgwan Provinces are being sent to them instead of the king. Which gives them a big informational advantage (if they can maintain it; seems like a difficult thing to keep going). But now, oh no, Santak the Annoying Hwarang enters with news from Gwangmun Prefecture; report of a "huge fire" during construction of a rampart structure. This immediately worries Mishil. Why?
Here's why. Deokman, meeting with some ministers, is told about the fire and wonders why no official dispatch was received from the area. So now she knows, already, that the information flow has been altered. THAT didn't last long.
More tough news for Deokman: now Chunchu and Yushin are complaining that so many people come and go in and out of the palace, it's just not possible to figure out who may be up to no good. They're trying, but it's just too difficult. And now Alcheon enters with the bad news about the crossbows. "If this keeps up," Yushin realizes, "Mishil will create a new capital."
Hey, look who Bidam caught--the official messenger from Gwangmun Prefecture. Was passing through Daeya Fortress so Bidam bagged him. Deokman demands to know why he didn't report to the capital, and the terrified messenger tells her that "Mishil was supervising the ramparts' construction" so the local governor ordered that she receive the report. And according to the message, the fire consumed all of the timber needed for the construction, so they were asking Mishil for more funds to replace it. Wow, Mishil has her hands in everything, doesn't she...A concerned Deokman orders the royal court convened immediately.
"I shall ignore any previous issue we faced," Deokman tells the court. But from now on, any official report on any matter large or small goes straight to me, under penalty of death. And instruct all of the provinces about that. Got it? Yes, they got it. And she orders the military to take command of the areas near Daeya Fortress, so that the area is totally cut off.
Later, Deokman is alone, thinking...Flashback to a scene we didn't see: Sohwa giving her the red envelope!! So she's had it all this time. Deokman immediately opens it and reads the paper inside. The first two words couldn't be more jarring: "Slay Mishil." She reads further, silently, but speaks the final words: "...and regain the mandate of heaven." And the paper has a royal seal on it. Jinheung's seal! Incredibly, this is the order that Jinheung gave to Seolwon all the way back in Episode 1. It's survived all this time. (Why didn't Seolwon or Mishil ever destroy it? Have to wonder what the untold story is.) Deokman wonders to herself, "Should I use that?" As in, to her advantage somehow. But now Bidam arrives and interrupts her train of thought. Awkwardly, he sort of says he wants to do more to help her. Obviously Yeom Jong's words got to him. She tells him that as soon as things calm down, she plans to give him an important position. She has an intelligence agency of sorts in mind, which she realizes can be immensely useful from seeing the work that he and Yeom Jong have carried out. And she'll want him to head it. "There is no better candidate than you," she says, and I trust you completely with the most sensitive tasks. Bidam smiles so widely that Deokman laughs at his childlike enthusiasm--but the main thing is, it's obviously very gratifying to Bidam and satisfies him completely. For now, though, here's some smaller thing she needs him to do: "On my way here, I hid a small box under a large tree." Near the Bokya camp. Go and get it. Discreetly.
Now we see him running gleefully to the location, absolutely tickled pink at Deokman's expression of faith in him.
Now Yushin and Alcheon show up, expressing some disappointment at all of the difficulties that seem to be popping up. "We have no experience running a country," Deokman replies, understanding that right now what they need is lots of trustworthy people working to support them. "That is the reason why Mishil was so obsessed with gaining people's hearts," she says. I need to do that now, too. "And will have to steal precious personnel from her." Meaning what? She doesn't answer directly, instead referring to the thing that Bidam is bringing.
How does Bidam possibly know which tree to go to? We didn't see him get any specific instructions. Oh wait, could it possibly be the tree out there by itself in a clearing, with big bright streamers draped all over it? Gee, ya think? (Ugh.) Yeah, Bidam is there digging, and finds a box. That's it. Mission accomplished. But now his curiosity gets the best of him. He opens the box and finds the red envelope...and remembers seeing Sohwa clutching it tightly to her chest after she was rescued two episodes earlier...so of course he can't help but open it and read the paper. The message so overwhelms him, he literally falls to his knees. Wow, is he ever rattled. And for the longest time, he just sits there, dazed...
...while Deokman waits impatiently for his return.
Inside Daeya Fortress: It's Jukbang, Godo, Daepoong and Geoksaheun, in civilian clothes, as part of the intelligence-gathering mission. Walking around the main market area. You'd have to wonder about one or two of those choices for intelligence gathering, but there they are.
"King Jinheung wanted Mishil dead? Then why is this still intact?" Bidam can't figure out why Mishil didn't destroy the order. THANK you; great question.
Now it's nighttime at Daeya Fortress. As the four DFers watch from near the main gate, observing who comes and goes, who should they see get in line but Bidam. Tells the guard he's there for "trading purposes," as are most of the people in line, and is cleared to enter. But what's he doing here? Jukbang says he knows he's on a mission for Deokman (Oops--no way he could have known that; continuity error, and a bad one)...and now a flashback to a conversation Jukbang had with Sohwa, that we didn't see, about that envelope. She's still clutching it; Jukbang suggests that she entrust it to Bidam--"Nobody is ever going to steal that from him"--but Sohwa refuses. Jukbang presses: "Wasn't this supposed to be what could make Mishil crumble?" Not sure how he knows this, but whatever, she won't give it to Bidam because, she says, it concerns him as well...Jukbang figures this all has to be tied in together somehow.
Bidam is sneaking around in the darkness now, avoiding soldiers...now he ambushes and kills two of them, and in the next moment he's gone into a building and is standing with a sword to Mishil's throat! Wow, he sure found her quickly enough. Mishil, of course, doesn't flinch or bat an eye. "Did Deokman send you to kill me?", she asks in a quiet voice. Or are you trying to score points for yourself by doing it on your own? Neither. "There is something I'm curious about." What? "That day...Why did you tell Yeom Jong to take me on a trip?" He means, as opposed to killing him. Not sure why he should care about it--it got him away with his life, didn't it? Mishil doesn't answer right away, so he screams at her (way to stay secret) "Because you'd interfere." "I always seem to become a nuisance, when it comes to fulfilling that dream of yours. Shouldn't you have abandoned me a second time? Should you have not... slain me?" Yeah, logically she should have, and she agrees. "A mistake on my part," she says with a smile. And because of that mistake, "I've come to this point." All he can hear is the word "mistake," though...And he's just about to pull out the red envelope from inside his shirt when Misaeng and Bojong come walking in, still in their military gear, and in the next moment their swords are both pointing at Bidam. But she calls them off. "It's only a guest of mine," she says to them, "who came out of curiosity." The pair are incredulous as she tells Bidam, "You may leave." His sword, of course, is still at her throat, so they really can't argue with him all that much.
Sejong, Seolwon and Hajong are told by Misaeng and Bojong what just happened. Seolwon doesn't seem to be very surprised about it--which makes Misaeng suspect Seolwon knows something. They demand to know what he knows; after all, her not having Bidam killed is part of what caused their plan to fail. Even Bojong tells his father to come clean....
Seolwon goes to Mishil and asks why Bidam was here. He wanted to know the same thing everybody else is asking; why she didn't have Bidam killed when she should have.
Jukbang and Godo are back in the palace; they tell Yushin and Alcheon about Bidam's unexpected side trip.
Deokman is still waiting, increasingly anxiously.
Well, Bidam got out of the fortress safely, and is out in the countryside. Alone in the darkness, he takes the red envelope out of his pocket and looks at it, terribly burdened.
Yushin tells Deokman about Bidam's side trip, and asks him what he was bringing for her. He has a right to ask, certainly, just out of concern for the possibility that he might not be totally anti-Mishil. But says he won't jump to any conclusions. The two go outside, and find Jukbang waiting for Deokman. Oddly, Jukbang asks for a few words in private with the princess. So Yushin leaves. Gingerly, he recalls Sohwa telling him about that envelope being relevant to Bidam and so she wouldn't entrust it to Bidam to protect. "It seemed like she was trying to hide something," he continues; "I was just wondering why..." And to our surprise, despite knowing what the paper is and having read it, Deokman isn't sure herself. "Why would an edict from King Jinheung clamoring for Mishil's death..." she wonders to herself....
...and later, back inside and alone, is still pondering...when guess who should finally walk in. An awkward silence between them. He sits down. Did he bring the envelope? "Nothing was there," he tells her blankly. I found the box, but it was empty. Deokman stares at him, and then gives him another chance. Whatever you tell me, she says, I'll believe you; "And this will also shape our relationship in the future. Was there really nothing inside?" Still want that plum intelligence job that made you so giddy? "Nothing. It wasn't there." I guess he doesn't. So she tells him she knows about his going to Daeya Fortress. "Did you meet with Mishil?" He fesses up; says he didn't want to come back with nothing, so he went there to kill her. "Wouldn't her death have ended all this? But... I failed." Sitting there like a surly, petulant little kid, Deokman knows he's withholding something. "I will ask for the last time. You and Mishil--what is your relationship?"
Sejong, Hajong and Misaeng are all pressing Mishil for the truth about Bidam. Same question: "What is your relationship?"
Bidam looks at Deokman: "Mishil and I...."
Mishil spills it: "He is my son."